Feed-trough.



T. C. OTTINGER. FEED TROUGH.

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Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

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THOMAS C. OTTINGER, OF HYDRO, OKLAHOMA.

FEED-TROUGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Application led June 22, 1908. Serial No. 439,873.

To all whom it may concern:

le it known that l, 'li-ioMAs O. OTTINGER. a citizen of the United States, residing at llydro7 in the county of Caddo and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Feed-Trough, of which the following .is a specification.

This 'nvention relates to improvements in feeders for stock, poultry and the like.

It has for one of its objects to provide a device having a conical bottom which will eil'e to keep the feed trough constantly It is a well known fact when it is desired to feed stock or poultry with soaked grain that the latter has to be prepared generally before putting into the trough and with self feeding devices like the present invention this method has many disadvantages chief among which is that the grain in its wet state will adhere to the sides and bottom and not properly feed to the trough; another disadvantage is if the entire mash is not consumed within a reasonable time it will have a tendency to sour.

The present invention aims to remedy these defects by so constructing a device of this kind that a supply of water will be automatically distributed to the grain in the trough sufficient to form a mash, and this supply will be kept going as long as grain is fed into the hopper.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully hereinafter' appear the present invention consists in certain novel de.- tails of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It being understood that various changes in size and minor details of the device may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming la part of this specification Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout.

In the construction illustrated a plate 1 preferably formed of metal or other suitable material, and preferably circular in marginal contour forms the base or support of the device. From the periphery of this base rises the vertical trough wall 2 either formed integral therewith or otherwise secured to the base plate 1. wall varies in proportion to the size of feeder used it being obvious that larger feeders will be used for stock than for poultry., l

Secured to the upper face of the base plate 1 is a cylindrical feed tank or hopper V3, considerably less in exterior ldiameter than the base plate 1, and projecting a considerable distance beyond the upper edge of the vertical trough wall 2.

With this construction it is obvious that an` annular space will be formed by the outer wall of the feed tank and inner face of the trough. wall; this space constitutes the trough proper and is designed to hold grain and the like.

Communication is established between the interior of the hopper and the trough by means of a plurality of oblong ports 4 extending upwardly from the lower edge of the hopper 3 to a point approximately in a plane with the upper edge of the trough wall 2.

Secured to the base plate 1and Within the hopper 3 is a water tank or reservoir 5 the lower edge of which abuts against the inner face of the hopper 3 as shown in Fig. 1.

The tank or reservoir is substantially frusto conical in shape its upper edge lying in a plane with the upper edge of the hopper 3 and interiorly screw threaded for the reception of a threaded plug 6, which serves to seal the tank when the latter is filled with water.

By lreference the outer face of the tank forms an incline floor for the hopper 3, and the latter is subdivided into two compartments by the walls to Fig. 1 it will be seen that 8 and 9 the sides of which are secured dia` metrically opposite each other on the outer face of the tank and the inner face of the hopper. i

With this construction it can be readily seen how `different kinds of grain ma be supplied by the hopper at one time the nction of the tank being to keep the trough partly filled with water which enters the trough through the diametrically opposlte openings 7 formed in the tank or reservoir 5 at a point approximately intermediate the upper and lower edges of the trough Wall 9..

It will be observed that the trough is divided into feeding spaces by the bars l0 the 'be seen when the hop er 3 is lled with grain the latter will How t rough the ports 4 and till the trough, and at the same time the water contained in the tank will flow through lthe opening 7 into the trough and rise inthe latter until the opening 7 is covered,l when the atmospheric pressure exceeding the pressure withm the tank will prevent further supply until the water in the trou h has agam fallen below the openlng 7. twill be readily seen that the volume of water within the trough will be about one-half the volume of rain thereby insuring that the latter will e mixed at all times with the proper portion of water thus avoiding hav- 1. In a stock feeder, a feed trough, a feed hopper freely communicatin therewith by openings below the upper e ge of the feed trough, a water-tank freely communicating with the hopper by openings below the uper edgel of the -feed troug and a closure or the top of said tank.

2. In a stock feeder, a feed trough, a

feed hopper locatedinteriorly of'said feed trough and freely communicatin therewith by openings below the upper e ge of said trou h, a water-tank located interiori of said opper and freely communicatingt erewith by openings below the upper/edge of said tank. l

3. A stock feeder embodying a base plate having a trough wall on the outer edge the-feed trough, anda closure for the top of y thereof,-a hopper secured to said. base plate A 'y within said trough wall and rovided on its lower portion with -openings t e upper ed es of which are in a plane with the upper edge of said trough Wall, a tank on said base plate within said hopper having, an openin is osed below the upper edge of said troug an' communicating with sald hop er.

4. A stock feeder embodying a ase plate having a trough wall on the outer edge thereof; a hopper secured to said base plate within said trouvh wall and provided on its lower portion wlth a plurality of openings the upper ed es of which lie in ,a plane with 'the upper e ge of said trough wall, a substantia ly frusto conical tank on said base plate provided at its upper end with a` threaded opening for the lreception of a screw plug and ladjacent its lower end provided with an outlet situated approximately 1 in the-presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS C. OTTINGER. Witnesses: v

0. A. JAMES, W. O. HOPKINS.

that I claim the foregoing asl my own, I have hereto aixed my slgnaturel 

